Starting a saltwater tank...

[Shanlee]

So I have been dealing with freshwater aquariums for a while and they aren’t satisfying me lately. I am sure now that I want to start a saltwater tank. But first I have a few questions. (I have been doing endless research and can’t find these anywhere)
1 - at my home we have well water. Could that be used in the tank or do I still need an RODI unit? I use the well water for my fresh water tanks but I am aware saltwater is more sensitive.
2 - I really want a tank with corals. Do you think I should start with that and add fish after or vice versa?
3 - is 30g a good starting point?
4 - I’ve watched videos on this one and read articles but it still confuses me, what lights do I need to have for the tank?
I think that’s it – if fish related questions are not allowed on this site please let me know. Thanks!

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

Welcome to R2R!

Two great resources I have found: 1) The BRS 52 weeks of reefing 2) This Forum - just as you are doing!

1) Yes, if you plan to keep corals, RODI is probably best.
2) You can do either or - just continue your research
3) With SW, bigger is always better - I would say 30 is a minimum. I have a 40b with sump and its ok, but wouldn't want much less. (some have done great with nano tanks, but there is very little room for error / learning)
4) Lights - highly debated but lots of good information out there. Unfortunately, there isn't really a single best answer. Lighting depends on your budget I would say -- you can spend $100 or $800 easily.

Keep up the questions and discussion as you work through this. Do you have a LFS for SW?

 

[dbl]

Welcome to R2R and to the salty side. Yes on RODI, fish, corals or both is fine to start, the larger the better to help with stability, and lights are dependent on contents and budget. I would highly recommend reading through the thread below. It's filled with great information to get you started.

http://reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

 

[Shanlee]

Welcome to R2R!

Two great resources I have found: 1) The BRS 52 weeks of reefing 2) This Forum - just as you are doing!

1) Yes, if you plan to keep corals, RODI is probably best.
2) You can do either or - just continue your research
3) With SW, bigger is always better - I would say 30 is a minimum. I have a 40b with sump and its ok, but wouldn't want much less. (some have done great with nano tanks, but there is very little room for error / learning)
4) Lights - highly debated but lots of good information out there. Unfortunately, there isn't really a single best answer. Lighting depends on your budget I would say -- you can spend $100 or $800 easily.

Keep up the questions and discussion as you work through this. Do you have a LFS for SW?

I do but when I went there, the owner wasn’t there and those little girls were just trying to sell me every pretty fish. I know a lot comes to owning a saltwater tank and I want it to be successful, not pretty.
Thanks everyone. I read some of that thread, I’ll read the rest now.

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

I do but when I went there, the owner wasn’t there and those little girls were just trying to sell me every pretty fish. I know a lot comes to owning a saltwater tank and I want it to be successful, not pretty.
Thanks everyone. I read some of that thread, I’ll read the rest now.

Great news -- it can be both! Also, I would encourage you to look and see if there are any local or regional reefing clubs -- local expertise is hugely helpful!

https://www.reef2reef.com/categories/local-reef-club-discussion.74/

 

[jsker]

Welcome to R2R and reefing. Looks like you have some great advice above.

A couple of things to add is write a budget so you have an idea of what and when. Expect to not stay on budget

Patients is one of the best tools besides asking questions.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Well water would be different. But it would need to be tested first(heavy metals, copper, etc..) can get expensive to do. I'd go RODI.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

O' yea, welcome, all here to help. We also need help, from time to time.

 

[ReefEco]

Hey Shanlee, one piece of advice I can give regarding tank size, is think of your tank in 24" cube units, as that is generally the size a single light can illuminate, and the size jump from 30g to a 60g cube is negligible in terms of the added cost of filtration, footprint, or other items - but the added volume will really help in the beginning. I would decide a budget, and possibly go one of two routes - a smaller all-in-one tank (AIO) that is easier on the wallet but in general less stable and takes more maintenance, or go with a 60 gallon cube on a stand - with a sump. The added stability and filtration options by adding a sump will help you succeed on a longer timeline. An AIO is still a god option, don't get me wrong, but when starting out a larger tank and more flexible setup with a sump will give you a little more wiggle room. With a reef tank, start your thinking about how to maintain the best water quality first (RODI system, refractometer, Auto-top-off system, and test kits are the basic purchases), then your filtration (skimmer, reactors, carbon, etc.). Then build your system from the smallest organism, to the largest - so bacteria first, then smaller invertebrates, corals, then fish last (or at least in parallel with corals). Essentially you are building your ecosystem from the ground up, from the simplest to the most complex organism. Once you have established and can keep alive one level of the ecosystem, move to the next. Also, do your best to source and buy aquacultured corals and fish whenever possible. Almost all corals are aquacultured today, reducing pressures on reefs, a good number of fish and invertebrates as well. If your LFS doesn't offer aquacultured corals or fish - ask why... I have lots of resources for aquacultured items when you reach that point. Good luck!

 

[Coralfuture]

Welcome to R2R!!!

#1) I would suggest you use RODI if you intend to keep corals but if you intend to start with fish only I have SEEN success with regular tap water but not without issues. (expect lots of algae)
#2) I'm really with the majority on this that you can do either. Personally I did both cuz I got impatient and excited...there was a learning curve.
#3) I would say that 30gal is good way to start for I feel its limiting on a hobby that is limitless and in the beginning your gonna want limits to slow down quick purchases.
#4) I have used all the lighting Halide/LED/T5 and in the end they all have their pros/cons. I ended with T5/LED being my combo personally but LED OR T5 I would suggest is the easiest way to start.

 

[savetheocean]

Welcome to the salty side! Be smart with the lights so you wont have to buy new ones in 6 months like I did..

 

[40B Knasty]

A 40B(breeder) with a solid stand. A 65g stand is the same foot print that can handle more weight. It is easy for cleaning because of the height and great for the width of the tank so you can have room in the front and back of your rock work for fish to swim around. 18" width is as low as you want to go IMO. T5 lights I would suggest. You can put the same bulbs in a $300 fixture as you can with a $5,000 fixture. The only difference is the reflectors and honestly to me that makes very little difference and you should not have to pay $4,700. That is a life supply of bulbs and fixtures if it was ever to go bad on you. Build your tank around what corals and fish you want. High flow for some fish and corals. Low flow for some fish and corals. Medium flow for fish and corals. Pick your inverts around the fish you want and corals the inverts will not bother. Otherwise you get into a dedicated tank only to a certain species.
Welcome! If you have any questions about a nano tank. Send me a message. Checkout 40B Knasty on YouTube. You can see a 40B and a 65G. Maybe it will give you some ideas. Know there is a gap in fish category usually 10-70G and 120+G.

 

[flsalty]

Personally, I would get your water tested to make sure RODI is not a waste of money.

If you are not going to keep many fish I would add those first. That way you can get the tank stabilized before adding coral.

 

[75galOCD]

With the amount of light you'll be pumping into the water, RODI is a must . I tell all my friends that want to build a reef #1 thing is a RODI filter.
What I did to start was set up the tank dry, organized the electrical, plumbed it, water test, added salt then live rock my tank is BB cycled the rock turned on the lights grew some algae & now I have a clean up crew with an urchin. This has been so much fun I could just about be happy with a live rock tank the life that has been coming out is amazing. I will be adding a couple fish then coral.
Welcome to the incredible world of reefing!

 

[reef lover]

Welcome to the salt life!

 

[Tommy Ray Oakley]

Remember to take your time with everything. Like most on here I will tell you the bigger the tank the easier it is to keep stable 55g would be my minimum to start someone off with. Lights all depend on what you want to keep in your tank. Bulk Reef Supply .com has been doing all these how too videos and 52 weeks of reefing I would suggest watching those loads of information. Either way welcome to the hobby.

 

[Michael Cronmiller]

Welcome to our salty family and to the hobby... you'll find lots of great people willing to help here..best advice I was given is take it slow and don't rush anything in this hobby. Cheers

 

[iemsparticus]

Welcome Shanlee to R2R, and to the salty way of life!

I, too, came from freshwater, and I can tell you: once you go salty, you don’t go back!

To your questions:

1) You’ll want an RODI unit. You really want water with 0 TDS (total dissolved solids), particularly if you want to have Corals. Water quality is absolutely essential, and you don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot trying to save a couple hundred bucks. Get an RODI unit, and you will not be sorry you did.

2) You can do this either way, but I would recommend you keep fish first, then add Corals. This gives you practice keeping the water quality high, gives your tank time to really mature before you put Corals in, and having fish in the tank with your Corals not only looks most natural, but provides a natural source of nutrients for your Corals.

3) 30 gal is small. It can certainly be done, but the smaller you have, the less stable it will be, and small changes to the water chemistry have a much greater effect on the tank. 40gal breeder is probably the smallest I would recommend. Not that 30 can’t work... but just know that you will have to be right ontop of your husbandry at all times.

4) Ask 30 reefers this question, and get 40 answers. I would highly recommend watching BRS 52 weeks of reefing where they talk about lights. They go in depth into the pros and cons of each lighting solution. Once you have a general idea of what you want from that, it will be much easier to help you nail down what to get.

 

[ReefJake123]

2) vice versa never start a tank with corals especially when it's your first time doing saltwater 3) great starting point is a 13.5 but 30 is also another good one

 

[Susan Edwards]

You'll love saltwater, though it is a lot more work and a lot more in money--just test kits and dosing and all these little things you won't even think of add up quickly. I'd go as big as your budget allows. Smaller is less forgiving, and you'll outgrow it quickly. I have a 66 gal all in one. for me, the AIO (all in one) made my jump into saltwater easy as I didn't have to stress about individual components. Just plug and play.

No reason you can't start with both fish and corals, once your cycle is done. Just start with hardy, beginner corals and fish and go SLOW, adding 1-2 at a time only with fish. Take your time researching and look at tanks on google to find what you like. A small tank doesn't offer much variety in regards to rockscape design. I'm at the 11 month mark and already am planning on a larger tank. This time I'll go as big as I can as that will be it for me.

Enjoy the journey. Oh, check out people's build threads here (check their signatures for links)